The Great Civil War Road Trip

Delanie and I had been good friends since middle school, and had always wanted to see Gettysburg. After all, we both enjoyed American history- particularly the Civil War- and where better to learn about the greatest conflict in the history of this nation? But why see just Gettysburg? After all, if we were going out to Pennsylvania, we might as well drop by Maryland! And Virginia! And Tennessee! And quickly, our plans grew out of hand. So it was that in May '17, we took a 2,000-mile trip, from Harrisburg, PA back to our homes in Texas. It was a long haul, with twelve separate stops:

This map roughly charts our 2,000-mile journey, after which I never wanted to drive again. Ever.

This map roughly charts our 2,000-mile journey, after which I never wanted to drive again. Ever.

  1. Gettysburg

  2. Manassas (Bull Run)

  3. Antietam (Sharpsburg)

  4. Arlington National Cemetery

  5. Fredericksburg

  6. American Civil War Museum

  7. Cold Harbor

  8. Petersburg

  9. Appomattox Courthouse

  10. Chickamauga

  11. Chattanooga

  12. Vicksburg

All I can say is... wow.
There's something about actually being on the fields where thousands of men gave their lives for what they believed in- for better or worse- and where the fate of millions was decided. There's something about seeing Burnside's Bridge outside of that famous illustration. It makes it all too real. I highly recommend such a trip to anyone even remotely interested in history- particularly the history of this nation.

TravelPatrick Celentano